MASK 2:The Next Generation
AN:Can you believe that it's been almost twenty years since MASK first appeared? It's even harder to believe that it's one of the few great toy lines of the eighties that hasn't made a comeback. (VOR-Tech doesn't count.)
In any case, this is my interpretation of what a 2004 version of MASK would be like. I've also attempted to write such an interpretation on the MASK Mindforge, but I'll admit I didn't do very well. Don't worry, I think my writing ability has improved since then.
The MASK concept isn't mine, but these characters are.
As always, read and review.
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The Heists
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Tempe, Arizona...
"Where is this place?" asked Hack. "I'm getting itchy."
"We're almost there." said Rocks.
"This kinda reminds me of when I went to college." said Slash.
"You went to college?" asked Rocks.
"Well, I drove through in a car." said Slash.
"We're here." said Hack. Rocks pulled his Hummer to the side of the street and let Hack and Slash out. The two looked up at the building.
"Why are they hiding it in a college dorm room?" asked Slash.
"Who's gonna think to look for it there?" asked Hack.
The two masked men walked over to the door. Then, they noticed a problem.
"Uh, I think it can only be opened with a key." said Slash.
"Or from the inside." said Hack. "That's my department." He walked over to the wall and called out "Gecko, on!" His hands and feet began to glow green and he crawled up the wall.
Upon reaching the second floor, Hack climbed through a window. A couple of seconds later, Hack opened the front door and let Slash in.
"Whose dorm room are we looking for?" asked Slash when they reached the third floor.
"His name is Paul Gomez, according to my source." said Hack. "It's actually a pseudonym. Here it is."
Slash looked at the indicated door and said "My turn." He pulled back and released a punch that ripped the door off its hinges. The three guards inside quickly raised their weapons. Slash held up his hands and called "Surge, on!" Bolts of blue lightning shot from his hands and knocked out the guards.
"Careful, Slash!" yelled Hack. "You almost shorted out the computer!"
"But I didn't." said Slash.
Hack sighed as he started unplugging the computer. "The concept of delicacy is lost on you." he groaned.
"Don't move!" ordered a man's voice. Hack and Slash looked in the direction of the voice to see three more guards with their weapons raised.
"Back off or Mr. Computer gets it." snarled Slash.
"We've got back-ups for that." said one of the guards. "You don't."
Outside, Rocks watched the scene through binoculars. "You don't have to come with us, you'll only slow us down." he said, mocking Hack. "We can take care of this ourselves. Idiots."
He put his mask on and pulled into position in his Hummer.
Inside, one of the guards asked the leader "Shouldn't we call the guards outside and have them look for the wheelman?"
"No." said the leader. "He's probably long gone by now. Besides, there's nothing he can do to help these two."
Outside, Rocks looked at the dorm room and said "Targeting mode." His mask began scanning the interior of the dorm room. He saw the heat generated by the bodies of Hack, Slash, and the guards. He also saw a water pipe next to the guards and called out "Pierce, fire!"
A yellow energy bolt fired from his mask and tore through the exterior wall. It kept on going, passed between Hack's legs, and hit the pipe. The pipe burst and dowsed the three guards.
"Now what?" asked Hack as the guards were distracted.
Just then, Rocks pulled up to the side of the building and his Hummer went through a transformation. The rear of the vehicle rose up and the passenger compartment flipped up to become level. The front bumper extended and a pair of guns extended from the grill. A pair of missiles emerged from the rear section and a pair of cannons extended from the sides of the passenger compartment.
Slash saw the top of the vehicle through the dorm's window, picked up a chair, and smashed the window. He and Hack jumped out onto the rear section and were lowered with the vehicle as it returned to its previous form. Hack and Slash then got off the roof and jumped into the back seat with the computer.
"We got it!" said Slash. "Go!"
Rocks drove off and made his escape. In the back seat, Hack fumed. "You almost hit me!" he sneered.
"Sorry." said Rocks. "I'll just aim a little closer next time."
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On a highway outside of Las Cruses, New Mexico...
A tractor-trailer drove down the highway. The driver hummed along with the country song playing on the radio. The security guard next to him glanced out the window at the countryside.
"Ever been jacked?" asked the guard.
"Nope." said the driver. "Of course, I've never hauled anything this sensitive before."
"Just stay vigilant." said the guard.
It was right about then that the roar of an engine cut the silence. The driver looked out the window and saw an attractive blond woman driving a silver Dodge Viper GTS.
"Hey, check this girl out." he said. The guard leaned over and looked at the girl.
"Oh yeah." he said. "Car's not bad either."
The woman made a fist, held it up, then made a motion like she was pulling the truck's air horn. The driver pulled the truck's air horn for real in response. The Viper then passed the truck and pulled in front of it.
"That's good." said the woman. "Trust me."
The woman was a teammate of Hack, Slash, and Rocks known as Flash. She pushed a button on the Viper's dashboard and a mask slid over her head.
"Almost there." she said as she approached a mile marker at the side of the road. When she passed it, she called "Wormhole, on!" A blue beam of energy shone from her mask and opened a blue energy tunnel.
"What the?" exclaimed the truck driver as he drove into the tunnel, unable to avoid it.
The two vehicles drove through the tunnel. Along the way, the Viper started to change. The sides of the car flipped up and became hover skirts. The rear window elevated to reveal a missile launcher and jet engines. The side exhausts extended to become laser cannons.
At the other end of the tunnel, the Viper cruised over the ground and the truck plowed into the dirt and got stuck. The driver and guard looked up to see a heavily-armed vehicle that looked like it may have once been a motor home.
"What the heck is that?" yelled the guard.
"I don't know!" screamed the driver. "But it's aiming right at us!"
The vehicle's weaponry was indeed aimed at the truck. It fired and took out the truck's engine and front wheels. The driver and guard bailed out of the cab.
The masked man in the armed vehicle jumped out and approached the two men. The guard tried to raise his weapon, but the man grabbed him by the neck and called "Leech, on!" A green glow surrounded the man's hand and guard quickly lost conciousness.
"Why you little..." growled the truck driver as he approached the man with a tire iron.
The man looked at the driver and called "Leech, fire!" A green bolt of energy fired from his mask and hit the driver, knocking him out.
"Nice shooting, Calvin." said Flash as she walked over to him.
"Child's play, sis." responded Calvin, a.k.a. Gearbox. "Now, let's see what we've got."
The two opened the back of the trailer. Inside was a large box with wires attached.
"That would be what we're looking for." said Gearbox.
"Good." said Flash. "Now, let's get it into the Monster and get it back to base before those two wake up."
"Heard that." said Gearbox.
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At a laboratory in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado...
"Professor, the signal emitter appears to be returning to normal." said a scientist.
"Then we can assume the experiment is a success." said the professor.
"Shall we record the data and submit it to Santa Fe?" asked the scientist.
"I believe we must." said the professor. Just then, an alarm started to sound and red lights started flashing.
"What's going on?" asked the scientist.
"That's the security alarm!" said the professor.
"Professor!" yelled a security guard. "We've got a group of motorcycles approaching on the access road!"
"Prepare for a possible attack!" yelled the professor.
"First, the dorm robbery last night, then the truck hijacking this morning." said the scientist. "Now this."
Outside, four Honda CBRs raced along the access road. The riders pulled out submachine guns and approached the main gate for the laboratory. One of the riders fired his gun and the gate's lock was broken. The front two bikers performed wheelies and knocked open the gate.
The security guards ran out into the parking lot with assault rifles. They quickly saught cover when the bikers opened fire. When the bikers stopped to reload, the guards returned fire. The bikers increased their speed to avoid getting hit.
The professor and the scientist watched the battle from the corner laboratory where they had performed the experiment.
"The bikers have speed, but the guards have numbers." observed the scientist. "Will the bikers reach the lab?"
"Doubtful." said the professor. "Even if the bikers manage to defeat the guards out there, they still have to fight past two floors of guards to get here."
It was at that moment that the professor was interupted by the sound of breaking glass. He turned around and saw a harpoon had broken the window on the other wall and hooked itself onto the signal emitter. The harpoon was attached to a small blue helicopter by a cable. Just as quickly as the harpoon hooked onto the emitter, it was pulled out of the window by the helicopter.
"Ha! I should go fishing more often." said the helicopter pilot as he reeled in his illicit cargo. He then picked up the microphone for his radio and said "Mission accomplished. Return to base."
With that, the bikers turned around and headed for the gate. Seeing her chance, one of the guards aimed her assault rifle at one of the fleeing bikers and fired. The front wheel of the bike suddenly collapsed and the biker was thrown to the pavement face first.
The helicopter and the other bikers managed to escape. A minute later, the professor and the scientist ran out of the building to find the guards huddled around the fallen biker.
"That helicopter got away with the signal emitter!" yelled the professor.
"Then the bikers were a distraction!" said the captain of the guards.
"What's that?" asked the scientist.
"We managed to take down one of the motorcycle gunmen." said the captain.
"Is he still alive?" asked the professor. "Then the authorities can interrogate him."
"Uh, sir." said one of the guards. "He was never alive." He then turned the biker over and revealed something that shocked everyone.
The biker was a robot.
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Somewhere under California's Mojave Desert...
"This is intolerable!" yelled Gates. "First it was was a heist every week, now three in one day!"
"They're stepping things up." observed the African-American man working the computer. "They must be getting more organized."
"We have to take action soon." said the muscular, bearded man in the leather jacket. "Otherwise, who knows?"
"In any case, I've got a new partner coming by to lend us a hand." said Gates.
"Think he's the one?" asked the bearded man.
"When does he get here?" asked the computer operator.
"Right now." said a voice from behind him. The men looked at the entrance to see a Hispanic man in a dark suit enter. "Agent Gates? I'm Agent Jeremy Sanchez. I was told I'd be working with you."
"Ah yes, I know you." said Gates. "You went to the academy with my daughter, Julie."
Jeremy shook hands with Gates and said "I heard what happened to her. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." said Gates. "Oh, by the way, allow me to introduce you to our experts." He held out his hand to the computer operator and said "This is Jack Marshall, our computer expert."
"You can call me 'Scooter'." said the operator as he shook hands with Jeremy.
"And this is our weapons expert, 'Rocky' Jackson." said Gates as he held out his hand to the bearded man.
"You got a nickname?" asked Jeremy as he shook hands with Rocky. Rocky just laughed.
"But enough with the pleasantries." said Gates. "We have pressing business to attend to."
"Yes, that's right." said Jeremy. "I was briefed that we had a series of three heists that appear to be connected."
"Yes, that's true." said Gates. "But I'm afraid there's been another development. The number of heists has doubled since you were briefed yesterday."
"What?" said Jeremy. "Six heists? Same guys?"
"We're not sure yet." said Rocky. "I'm sure you're going to find out though."
"I'm printing out a list of the crime scenes." said Scooter as a page printed from his computer.
"Thanks, we'll look into this." said Gates as he took the page.
Gates showed the list to Jeremy. "I think we should look into the dorm at ASU* first." said Jeremy. "It was the first of the three and it's closest."
*Arizona State University
"Very well." said Gates. "Let's go."
"Okay." said Jeremy as he and Gates turned to leave. On his way out, Jeremy turned to Rocky and Scooter and said "Nice meeting you guys."
After the door closed, Rocky walked over to Scooter and said "I should be going with them."
"Yeah, why's that?" asked Scooter as he went back to the computer.
"Cause those guys haven't seen what happens first hand." said Rocky. "I've got combat experience and I've seen what the perps are capable of."
"Rocky, I know you want revenge for your brothers," said Scooter "but this is an official FBI investigation. Get revenge on your own time."
In the parking garage, Jeremy led Gates to a black Ford Crown Victoria. "There's my car." he said.
"Ah, FBI standard." said Gates. "That Harley over there is Rocky's." he added while pointing to a customized Harley-Davidson with a flame job on the fuel tank and a Maltese cross on the sissy bars.
"Maltese cross." observed Jeremy. "Is that a West Coast Choppers work?"
"Yes indeed." said Gates. "Guess who that belongs to." he added as he pointed to a red Honda scooter.
"Going out on a limb here. Scooter?" Jeremy guessed.
"Of course." said Gates as he and Jeremy climbed into the Crown Vic.
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Shortly, Jeremy was driving towards Tempe with Agent Gates at his side. "So, what's the deal with Rocky and Scooter?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" asked Gates.
"We normally don't bring in outsiders on cases like this." said Jeremy.
"I told you Scooter's a computer expert." said Gates. "He was working with the company that was robbed at the time of one of the heists. He managed to see the whole thing."
"Did they see him?" asked Jeremy.
"No, he wasn't even on site." said Gates. "Scooter was programming a defense algorithim for their mainframe from his appartment in Seattle. He watched the heist through their webcam. The robbers later noticed he was jacked in and went after him. By then, he had already fled to the local police station."
"And Rocky?" asked Jeremy.
"Rocky's a Gulf War veteran and a member of a biker gang." said Gates. "Or at least he was."
"Yes?" asked Jeremy.
"A couple of weeks ago, Rocky and his gang were pulled over at a truck stop when one of the heists occurred." said Gates. "A truck for the company was hijacked at the truck stop and his gang was caught in the crossfire. The officer who pulled them over was seriously injured and the rest of Rocky's gang didn't survive. We found him defending himself with the officer's shotgun."
"Poor guy." said Jeremy.
"He keeps asking to come with me." said Gates. "I can see he wants revenge for his 'brothers'. Scooter is just looking for answers as to who performed the robberies since they also want to shut him up."
"And what are you looking for in this?" asked Jeremy.
Gates' expression turned grim. "I'm looking to fulfill a promise I made to an old friend." said Gates.
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Hack, Slash, and Rocks walked into the lounge of their headquarters with their stolen computer.
"Okay, first we give this thing to Dr. Frankenstein." said Rocks. "Then we can relax."
"Dr. Frankenstein is out." said another man who entered the room. "I can take that for you."
"Sure, you can take it." said Slash as he handed the computer to the other man.
"How did it go?" asked the man.
"They never knew what hit them." said Hack. "We went in, took their computer, and left them with a story no one will ever believe."
"Speaking of which," said Rocks "I heard on the way in that the FBI was investigating the heist."
"Ooh, this I have to see." said the man as he turned on a viewscreen.
He watched as the Crown Vic pulled up in front of the dorm and Jeremy climbed out. "This is too perfect." said the man. "Just as Hack said, we have their treasure and no one will ever believe..."
Suddenly, the man recognized the other FBI agent climbing out of the car and exclaimed "What the...Gates!"
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Jeremy and Agent Gates reached Tempe the following day. They found the dorm robbed by Hack, Slash, and Rocks two nights earlier and began their investigation.
"We only had three guards in the room." said one guard. "That's all we had room for, but we thought it was enough. I guess we were wrong."
"Did you see anything unusual happen during the heist?" asked Jeremy.
"Somehow, some kind of projectile fired through the wall and blew open that water pipe." said the guard as he pointed to the burst pipe which was now being repaired by a pair of plumbers.
"We didn't find a round in the wall." said Gates.
"Hey, I'm just telling you what I saw." said the guard.
"Thank you, you've been helpful." said Jeremy as he and Gates walked away. "What do you make of that?" asked Jeremy.
"I'm not sure yet." said Gates as he approached another guard.
"Gates and Sanchez, FBI." said Jeremy. "Mr. Lewis, were you in the room at the time of the heist?"
"No, I was manning the security cameras." said Lewis. "But we had one set up outside and we caught the getaway vehicle."
"Do you have a record of this?" asked Gates.
"Yes, it's on tape." said Lewis. "Do you want me to go get it?"
"Yes, that would be perfect." said Jeremy.
"Okay, I'll be right back." said Lewis.
After he left, Jeremy turned to talk with Gates. "So, how's Julie doing?" he asked.
"Better." said Gates. "She's regained use of her arm. She talks about returning to the field soon."
"That's good to hear." said Jeremy. "Did they ever catch the guy who shot her?"
"No, but we know who it was." said Gates. "There's nowhere he can hide."
"Don't worry, we'll get him." said Jeremy as Lewis returned with the tape.
"Here's the tape." said Lewis as he handed the tape to Gates. "I have to warn you, though. You're not going to believe what's on it."
Jeremy and Gates watched the tape. It clearly showed the Hummer transforming and Hack and Slash climbing on top of it.
"Whoa." said Jeremy.
"You sound underwelmed." said Gates. "You're not surprised?"
"I watch 'Monster Garage'." said Jeremy.
"I see." laughed Gates.
"Mr. Lewis, can you convert this footage into a computer file to be e-mailed?" asked Jeremy. "I think we should have our computer expert look at this."
"Yeah, I can do that." said Lewis as he started to do that.
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A few minutes later, Scooter downloaded the file as Rocky joined him.
"Whatcha got?" asked Rocky.
"Gates and Sanchez just sent me a film clip of the heist in Tempe." said Scooter. "Wanna see it?"
"Might as well." joked Rocky. "Nothin' else on."
Scooter played the film clip and he and Rocky watched it. "Yup, definately the same guys." He turned around and noticed Rocky looking at the screen in shock. "Rocky? What's wrong?" asked Scooter.
"That fox's head on the front of the Hummer." said Rocky as he pointed to a graphic of a fox's head on the hood of the Hummer. "There was one of those on the front of the Winnebago that took out my gang."
Scooter looked at Rocky in shock.
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"You don't say." said Jeremy over the phone. "If it's the same guys, it might be important. Thanks, I'll see you later."
Jeremy hung up and turned to Gates. "Rocky spotted a fox's head graphic on the hood of the Hummer." he said. "He says there was one just like it on the RV that attacked his gang."
Gates rewound the tape and checked the front of the Hummer. "What do you think about this?"
"If it's indeed the same group connected with both incidents," said Jeremy "the fox symbol might have some kind of personal significance to their leader."
"You might be right." said Gates. "Let's get ready to go. We still have the heists in New Mexico and Colorado to investigate.
"Okay." said Jeremy. "I think we're done here anyway. Scooter's got the video file."
Jeremy then left the room. Gates started to follow, then stared at the video screen and the fox head graphic. "Curse you, Mayhem." he muttered. "You do have a successor."
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AN:So, what do you think so far? Please, read and review.
Recently, fanfiction.net stopped allowing writers to devote an entire chapter to Author's Notes. As such, that prevents me from posting a chapter dedicated solely to profiles of the new characters. I've decided to instead post two profiles at the end of every chapter. I'll start with Flash and Gearbox.
Flash
Real name:Cassidy Lucas
Allegiance:The Foxes
Position:Fast Attack Driver
Birthplace:Chicago
Mask:Wormhole (opens a tunnel in space/time that's four times longer outside than inside)
Vehicle Code Name:Rocket (Dodge Viper GTS/Fast Attack Hovercraft)
Bio:Flash was once a rising race car driver until a scandal involving stolen property got her banned from every racing series in the country. With nowhere else to turn, Flash turned to auto theft. Recently, she stole a car from the founder of The Foxes, but he decided to recruit her instead of anything more drastic. She had one requirement though...
Gearbox
Real name:Calvin Lucas
Allegiance:The Foxes
Position:Heavy Vehicle Driver
Birthplace:Salt Lake City
Mask:Leech (drains energy from a human target and converts it to an energy projectile)
Vehicle Code Name:Monster (Winnebago Chieftain/Mobile Command Center)
Bio:Gearbox was a member of his sister's (Flash) racing team when he made the mistake of taking part in trading stolen property. After his sister was banned from racing, he went into fencing stolen property full time. Flash was hired by the Foxes after she was caught trying to steal their leader's car. Her one requirement was to hire Gearbox too.
Thank you for reading.
AN:Can you believe that it's been almost twenty years since MASK first appeared? It's even harder to believe that it's one of the few great toy lines of the eighties that hasn't made a comeback. (VOR-Tech doesn't count.)
In any case, this is my interpretation of what a 2004 version of MASK would be like. I've also attempted to write such an interpretation on the MASK Mindforge, but I'll admit I didn't do very well. Don't worry, I think my writing ability has improved since then.
The MASK concept isn't mine, but these characters are.
As always, read and review.
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The Heists
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Tempe, Arizona...
"Where is this place?" asked Hack. "I'm getting itchy."
"We're almost there." said Rocks.
"This kinda reminds me of when I went to college." said Slash.
"You went to college?" asked Rocks.
"Well, I drove through in a car." said Slash.
"We're here." said Hack. Rocks pulled his Hummer to the side of the street and let Hack and Slash out. The two looked up at the building.
"Why are they hiding it in a college dorm room?" asked Slash.
"Who's gonna think to look for it there?" asked Hack.
The two masked men walked over to the door. Then, they noticed a problem.
"Uh, I think it can only be opened with a key." said Slash.
"Or from the inside." said Hack. "That's my department." He walked over to the wall and called out "Gecko, on!" His hands and feet began to glow green and he crawled up the wall.
Upon reaching the second floor, Hack climbed through a window. A couple of seconds later, Hack opened the front door and let Slash in.
"Whose dorm room are we looking for?" asked Slash when they reached the third floor.
"His name is Paul Gomez, according to my source." said Hack. "It's actually a pseudonym. Here it is."
Slash looked at the indicated door and said "My turn." He pulled back and released a punch that ripped the door off its hinges. The three guards inside quickly raised their weapons. Slash held up his hands and called "Surge, on!" Bolts of blue lightning shot from his hands and knocked out the guards.
"Careful, Slash!" yelled Hack. "You almost shorted out the computer!"
"But I didn't." said Slash.
Hack sighed as he started unplugging the computer. "The concept of delicacy is lost on you." he groaned.
"Don't move!" ordered a man's voice. Hack and Slash looked in the direction of the voice to see three more guards with their weapons raised.
"Back off or Mr. Computer gets it." snarled Slash.
"We've got back-ups for that." said one of the guards. "You don't."
Outside, Rocks watched the scene through binoculars. "You don't have to come with us, you'll only slow us down." he said, mocking Hack. "We can take care of this ourselves. Idiots."
He put his mask on and pulled into position in his Hummer.
Inside, one of the guards asked the leader "Shouldn't we call the guards outside and have them look for the wheelman?"
"No." said the leader. "He's probably long gone by now. Besides, there's nothing he can do to help these two."
Outside, Rocks looked at the dorm room and said "Targeting mode." His mask began scanning the interior of the dorm room. He saw the heat generated by the bodies of Hack, Slash, and the guards. He also saw a water pipe next to the guards and called out "Pierce, fire!"
A yellow energy bolt fired from his mask and tore through the exterior wall. It kept on going, passed between Hack's legs, and hit the pipe. The pipe burst and dowsed the three guards.
"Now what?" asked Hack as the guards were distracted.
Just then, Rocks pulled up to the side of the building and his Hummer went through a transformation. The rear of the vehicle rose up and the passenger compartment flipped up to become level. The front bumper extended and a pair of guns extended from the grill. A pair of missiles emerged from the rear section and a pair of cannons extended from the sides of the passenger compartment.
Slash saw the top of the vehicle through the dorm's window, picked up a chair, and smashed the window. He and Hack jumped out onto the rear section and were lowered with the vehicle as it returned to its previous form. Hack and Slash then got off the roof and jumped into the back seat with the computer.
"We got it!" said Slash. "Go!"
Rocks drove off and made his escape. In the back seat, Hack fumed. "You almost hit me!" he sneered.
"Sorry." said Rocks. "I'll just aim a little closer next time."
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On a highway outside of Las Cruses, New Mexico...
A tractor-trailer drove down the highway. The driver hummed along with the country song playing on the radio. The security guard next to him glanced out the window at the countryside.
"Ever been jacked?" asked the guard.
"Nope." said the driver. "Of course, I've never hauled anything this sensitive before."
"Just stay vigilant." said the guard.
It was right about then that the roar of an engine cut the silence. The driver looked out the window and saw an attractive blond woman driving a silver Dodge Viper GTS.
"Hey, check this girl out." he said. The guard leaned over and looked at the girl.
"Oh yeah." he said. "Car's not bad either."
The woman made a fist, held it up, then made a motion like she was pulling the truck's air horn. The driver pulled the truck's air horn for real in response. The Viper then passed the truck and pulled in front of it.
"That's good." said the woman. "Trust me."
The woman was a teammate of Hack, Slash, and Rocks known as Flash. She pushed a button on the Viper's dashboard and a mask slid over her head.
"Almost there." she said as she approached a mile marker at the side of the road. When she passed it, she called "Wormhole, on!" A blue beam of energy shone from her mask and opened a blue energy tunnel.
"What the?" exclaimed the truck driver as he drove into the tunnel, unable to avoid it.
The two vehicles drove through the tunnel. Along the way, the Viper started to change. The sides of the car flipped up and became hover skirts. The rear window elevated to reveal a missile launcher and jet engines. The side exhausts extended to become laser cannons.
At the other end of the tunnel, the Viper cruised over the ground and the truck plowed into the dirt and got stuck. The driver and guard looked up to see a heavily-armed vehicle that looked like it may have once been a motor home.
"What the heck is that?" yelled the guard.
"I don't know!" screamed the driver. "But it's aiming right at us!"
The vehicle's weaponry was indeed aimed at the truck. It fired and took out the truck's engine and front wheels. The driver and guard bailed out of the cab.
The masked man in the armed vehicle jumped out and approached the two men. The guard tried to raise his weapon, but the man grabbed him by the neck and called "Leech, on!" A green glow surrounded the man's hand and guard quickly lost conciousness.
"Why you little..." growled the truck driver as he approached the man with a tire iron.
The man looked at the driver and called "Leech, fire!" A green bolt of energy fired from his mask and hit the driver, knocking him out.
"Nice shooting, Calvin." said Flash as she walked over to him.
"Child's play, sis." responded Calvin, a.k.a. Gearbox. "Now, let's see what we've got."
The two opened the back of the trailer. Inside was a large box with wires attached.
"That would be what we're looking for." said Gearbox.
"Good." said Flash. "Now, let's get it into the Monster and get it back to base before those two wake up."
"Heard that." said Gearbox.
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At a laboratory in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado...
"Professor, the signal emitter appears to be returning to normal." said a scientist.
"Then we can assume the experiment is a success." said the professor.
"Shall we record the data and submit it to Santa Fe?" asked the scientist.
"I believe we must." said the professor. Just then, an alarm started to sound and red lights started flashing.
"What's going on?" asked the scientist.
"That's the security alarm!" said the professor.
"Professor!" yelled a security guard. "We've got a group of motorcycles approaching on the access road!"
"Prepare for a possible attack!" yelled the professor.
"First, the dorm robbery last night, then the truck hijacking this morning." said the scientist. "Now this."
Outside, four Honda CBRs raced along the access road. The riders pulled out submachine guns and approached the main gate for the laboratory. One of the riders fired his gun and the gate's lock was broken. The front two bikers performed wheelies and knocked open the gate.
The security guards ran out into the parking lot with assault rifles. They quickly saught cover when the bikers opened fire. When the bikers stopped to reload, the guards returned fire. The bikers increased their speed to avoid getting hit.
The professor and the scientist watched the battle from the corner laboratory where they had performed the experiment.
"The bikers have speed, but the guards have numbers." observed the scientist. "Will the bikers reach the lab?"
"Doubtful." said the professor. "Even if the bikers manage to defeat the guards out there, they still have to fight past two floors of guards to get here."
It was at that moment that the professor was interupted by the sound of breaking glass. He turned around and saw a harpoon had broken the window on the other wall and hooked itself onto the signal emitter. The harpoon was attached to a small blue helicopter by a cable. Just as quickly as the harpoon hooked onto the emitter, it was pulled out of the window by the helicopter.
"Ha! I should go fishing more often." said the helicopter pilot as he reeled in his illicit cargo. He then picked up the microphone for his radio and said "Mission accomplished. Return to base."
With that, the bikers turned around and headed for the gate. Seeing her chance, one of the guards aimed her assault rifle at one of the fleeing bikers and fired. The front wheel of the bike suddenly collapsed and the biker was thrown to the pavement face first.
The helicopter and the other bikers managed to escape. A minute later, the professor and the scientist ran out of the building to find the guards huddled around the fallen biker.
"That helicopter got away with the signal emitter!" yelled the professor.
"Then the bikers were a distraction!" said the captain of the guards.
"What's that?" asked the scientist.
"We managed to take down one of the motorcycle gunmen." said the captain.
"Is he still alive?" asked the professor. "Then the authorities can interrogate him."
"Uh, sir." said one of the guards. "He was never alive." He then turned the biker over and revealed something that shocked everyone.
The biker was a robot.
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Somewhere under California's Mojave Desert...
"This is intolerable!" yelled Gates. "First it was was a heist every week, now three in one day!"
"They're stepping things up." observed the African-American man working the computer. "They must be getting more organized."
"We have to take action soon." said the muscular, bearded man in the leather jacket. "Otherwise, who knows?"
"In any case, I've got a new partner coming by to lend us a hand." said Gates.
"Think he's the one?" asked the bearded man.
"When does he get here?" asked the computer operator.
"Right now." said a voice from behind him. The men looked at the entrance to see a Hispanic man in a dark suit enter. "Agent Gates? I'm Agent Jeremy Sanchez. I was told I'd be working with you."
"Ah yes, I know you." said Gates. "You went to the academy with my daughter, Julie."
Jeremy shook hands with Gates and said "I heard what happened to her. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." said Gates. "Oh, by the way, allow me to introduce you to our experts." He held out his hand to the computer operator and said "This is Jack Marshall, our computer expert."
"You can call me 'Scooter'." said the operator as he shook hands with Jeremy.
"And this is our weapons expert, 'Rocky' Jackson." said Gates as he held out his hand to the bearded man.
"You got a nickname?" asked Jeremy as he shook hands with Rocky. Rocky just laughed.
"But enough with the pleasantries." said Gates. "We have pressing business to attend to."
"Yes, that's right." said Jeremy. "I was briefed that we had a series of three heists that appear to be connected."
"Yes, that's true." said Gates. "But I'm afraid there's been another development. The number of heists has doubled since you were briefed yesterday."
"What?" said Jeremy. "Six heists? Same guys?"
"We're not sure yet." said Rocky. "I'm sure you're going to find out though."
"I'm printing out a list of the crime scenes." said Scooter as a page printed from his computer.
"Thanks, we'll look into this." said Gates as he took the page.
Gates showed the list to Jeremy. "I think we should look into the dorm at ASU* first." said Jeremy. "It was the first of the three and it's closest."
*Arizona State University
"Very well." said Gates. "Let's go."
"Okay." said Jeremy as he and Gates turned to leave. On his way out, Jeremy turned to Rocky and Scooter and said "Nice meeting you guys."
After the door closed, Rocky walked over to Scooter and said "I should be going with them."
"Yeah, why's that?" asked Scooter as he went back to the computer.
"Cause those guys haven't seen what happens first hand." said Rocky. "I've got combat experience and I've seen what the perps are capable of."
"Rocky, I know you want revenge for your brothers," said Scooter "but this is an official FBI investigation. Get revenge on your own time."
In the parking garage, Jeremy led Gates to a black Ford Crown Victoria. "There's my car." he said.
"Ah, FBI standard." said Gates. "That Harley over there is Rocky's." he added while pointing to a customized Harley-Davidson with a flame job on the fuel tank and a Maltese cross on the sissy bars.
"Maltese cross." observed Jeremy. "Is that a West Coast Choppers work?"
"Yes indeed." said Gates. "Guess who that belongs to." he added as he pointed to a red Honda scooter.
"Going out on a limb here. Scooter?" Jeremy guessed.
"Of course." said Gates as he and Jeremy climbed into the Crown Vic.
----------
Shortly, Jeremy was driving towards Tempe with Agent Gates at his side. "So, what's the deal with Rocky and Scooter?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" asked Gates.
"We normally don't bring in outsiders on cases like this." said Jeremy.
"I told you Scooter's a computer expert." said Gates. "He was working with the company that was robbed at the time of one of the heists. He managed to see the whole thing."
"Did they see him?" asked Jeremy.
"No, he wasn't even on site." said Gates. "Scooter was programming a defense algorithim for their mainframe from his appartment in Seattle. He watched the heist through their webcam. The robbers later noticed he was jacked in and went after him. By then, he had already fled to the local police station."
"And Rocky?" asked Jeremy.
"Rocky's a Gulf War veteran and a member of a biker gang." said Gates. "Or at least he was."
"Yes?" asked Jeremy.
"A couple of weeks ago, Rocky and his gang were pulled over at a truck stop when one of the heists occurred." said Gates. "A truck for the company was hijacked at the truck stop and his gang was caught in the crossfire. The officer who pulled them over was seriously injured and the rest of Rocky's gang didn't survive. We found him defending himself with the officer's shotgun."
"Poor guy." said Jeremy.
"He keeps asking to come with me." said Gates. "I can see he wants revenge for his 'brothers'. Scooter is just looking for answers as to who performed the robberies since they also want to shut him up."
"And what are you looking for in this?" asked Jeremy.
Gates' expression turned grim. "I'm looking to fulfill a promise I made to an old friend." said Gates.
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Hack, Slash, and Rocks walked into the lounge of their headquarters with their stolen computer.
"Okay, first we give this thing to Dr. Frankenstein." said Rocks. "Then we can relax."
"Dr. Frankenstein is out." said another man who entered the room. "I can take that for you."
"Sure, you can take it." said Slash as he handed the computer to the other man.
"How did it go?" asked the man.
"They never knew what hit them." said Hack. "We went in, took their computer, and left them with a story no one will ever believe."
"Speaking of which," said Rocks "I heard on the way in that the FBI was investigating the heist."
"Ooh, this I have to see." said the man as he turned on a viewscreen.
He watched as the Crown Vic pulled up in front of the dorm and Jeremy climbed out. "This is too perfect." said the man. "Just as Hack said, we have their treasure and no one will ever believe..."
Suddenly, the man recognized the other FBI agent climbing out of the car and exclaimed "What the...Gates!"
----------
Jeremy and Agent Gates reached Tempe the following day. They found the dorm robbed by Hack, Slash, and Rocks two nights earlier and began their investigation.
"We only had three guards in the room." said one guard. "That's all we had room for, but we thought it was enough. I guess we were wrong."
"Did you see anything unusual happen during the heist?" asked Jeremy.
"Somehow, some kind of projectile fired through the wall and blew open that water pipe." said the guard as he pointed to the burst pipe which was now being repaired by a pair of plumbers.
"We didn't find a round in the wall." said Gates.
"Hey, I'm just telling you what I saw." said the guard.
"Thank you, you've been helpful." said Jeremy as he and Gates walked away. "What do you make of that?" asked Jeremy.
"I'm not sure yet." said Gates as he approached another guard.
"Gates and Sanchez, FBI." said Jeremy. "Mr. Lewis, were you in the room at the time of the heist?"
"No, I was manning the security cameras." said Lewis. "But we had one set up outside and we caught the getaway vehicle."
"Do you have a record of this?" asked Gates.
"Yes, it's on tape." said Lewis. "Do you want me to go get it?"
"Yes, that would be perfect." said Jeremy.
"Okay, I'll be right back." said Lewis.
After he left, Jeremy turned to talk with Gates. "So, how's Julie doing?" he asked.
"Better." said Gates. "She's regained use of her arm. She talks about returning to the field soon."
"That's good to hear." said Jeremy. "Did they ever catch the guy who shot her?"
"No, but we know who it was." said Gates. "There's nowhere he can hide."
"Don't worry, we'll get him." said Jeremy as Lewis returned with the tape.
"Here's the tape." said Lewis as he handed the tape to Gates. "I have to warn you, though. You're not going to believe what's on it."
Jeremy and Gates watched the tape. It clearly showed the Hummer transforming and Hack and Slash climbing on top of it.
"Whoa." said Jeremy.
"You sound underwelmed." said Gates. "You're not surprised?"
"I watch 'Monster Garage'." said Jeremy.
"I see." laughed Gates.
"Mr. Lewis, can you convert this footage into a computer file to be e-mailed?" asked Jeremy. "I think we should have our computer expert look at this."
"Yeah, I can do that." said Lewis as he started to do that.
----------
A few minutes later, Scooter downloaded the file as Rocky joined him.
"Whatcha got?" asked Rocky.
"Gates and Sanchez just sent me a film clip of the heist in Tempe." said Scooter. "Wanna see it?"
"Might as well." joked Rocky. "Nothin' else on."
Scooter played the film clip and he and Rocky watched it. "Yup, definately the same guys." He turned around and noticed Rocky looking at the screen in shock. "Rocky? What's wrong?" asked Scooter.
"That fox's head on the front of the Hummer." said Rocky as he pointed to a graphic of a fox's head on the hood of the Hummer. "There was one of those on the front of the Winnebago that took out my gang."
Scooter looked at Rocky in shock.
----------
"You don't say." said Jeremy over the phone. "If it's the same guys, it might be important. Thanks, I'll see you later."
Jeremy hung up and turned to Gates. "Rocky spotted a fox's head graphic on the hood of the Hummer." he said. "He says there was one just like it on the RV that attacked his gang."
Gates rewound the tape and checked the front of the Hummer. "What do you think about this?"
"If it's indeed the same group connected with both incidents," said Jeremy "the fox symbol might have some kind of personal significance to their leader."
"You might be right." said Gates. "Let's get ready to go. We still have the heists in New Mexico and Colorado to investigate.
"Okay." said Jeremy. "I think we're done here anyway. Scooter's got the video file."
Jeremy then left the room. Gates started to follow, then stared at the video screen and the fox head graphic. "Curse you, Mayhem." he muttered. "You do have a successor."
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AN:So, what do you think so far? Please, read and review.
Recently, fanfiction.net stopped allowing writers to devote an entire chapter to Author's Notes. As such, that prevents me from posting a chapter dedicated solely to profiles of the new characters. I've decided to instead post two profiles at the end of every chapter. I'll start with Flash and Gearbox.
Flash
Real name:Cassidy Lucas
Allegiance:The Foxes
Position:Fast Attack Driver
Birthplace:Chicago
Mask:Wormhole (opens a tunnel in space/time that's four times longer outside than inside)
Vehicle Code Name:Rocket (Dodge Viper GTS/Fast Attack Hovercraft)
Bio:Flash was once a rising race car driver until a scandal involving stolen property got her banned from every racing series in the country. With nowhere else to turn, Flash turned to auto theft. Recently, she stole a car from the founder of The Foxes, but he decided to recruit her instead of anything more drastic. She had one requirement though...
Gearbox
Real name:Calvin Lucas
Allegiance:The Foxes
Position:Heavy Vehicle Driver
Birthplace:Salt Lake City
Mask:Leech (drains energy from a human target and converts it to an energy projectile)
Vehicle Code Name:Monster (Winnebago Chieftain/Mobile Command Center)
Bio:Gearbox was a member of his sister's (Flash) racing team when he made the mistake of taking part in trading stolen property. After his sister was banned from racing, he went into fencing stolen property full time. Flash was hired by the Foxes after she was caught trying to steal their leader's car. Her one requirement was to hire Gearbox too.
Thank you for reading.